Discover North Campus – Spots Every Student Should Know
Hey there Seahawk! Last month, we provided you with a guide to all the places students should know on our A. Hugh Adams Central Campus. Settle in for another virtual campus tour. This time, we invite you to get familiar with our North Campus, located in Coconut Creek.
Student Life
The hub of Student Life on North Campus is building 46. You will find most of your peers hanging out at the cafeteria, the coffee house next to it, or the open space in front of the building. Most Student Life events also take place in this area, so whenever you’re on campus, make sure to pass by.
If you are interested in entertainment and culture, a popular location to check out is the Omni Auditorium, a multi-purpose facility that seats up to 2,000 people. The Auditorium often features musical shows and community functions, including performances from students in the music, dance, and theatre programs.
Popular Programs and Initiatives
While you can enroll in classes for any program at any campus, certain programs may be exclusive to a particular campus. At North campus, the most popular are Environmental Science, Teacher Education, and Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Given the popularity of the Environmental Science program, it is only logical that the campus is also home to the Dr. Peggy Green Sustainability Institute. The Institute is an initiative launched by the College in 2011 and dedicated to Dr. Peggy Green, a faculty member, and advocate of sustainability efforts, and is located in building 51.
Campus Services
North Campus offers unique services that benefit students, employees, and the community. One such service is the Vision Clinic. Located in building 41, also known as the Health Sciences building, the Vision Clinic is staffed with students who are supervised by clinic doctors to provide safe and quality eye care at a lower cost to the public.
The Early Childhood Laboratory School in building 63 opened its doors in January 2014 to provide high quality and affordable hands-on learning to children aged one to five years old.
It is the first and only dual-purpose public laboratory school in Broward County, providing firsthand training for college students enrolled in Early Childhood Education degree programs.
Check out these and other popular locations and more.
Broward College serves more than 63,000 students annually and currently has 11 locations across Broward county. Don’t miss out on having a full college experience.
Staying in the Game – Polishing Up Your Programming Skills at the BC Hackathon
In a competitive industry such as the tech world, it’s important to keep up with the latest trends of the trade. A crucial part of your success in the industry, which is expected to grow 12 percent in the next 10 years according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, requires you to work constantly on improving your skills. In other words, you must become a lifelong learner.
On Friday, Oct. 25, 2019, programmers and tech enthusiasts in South Florida will come across the perfect opportunity to work on their programming, problem-solving, and time management skills during the 2019 BC Hackathon.
The 24-hour coding event, now in its fifth year, is hosted by Broward College’s Computer Science department with the goal to bring together aspiring programmers, industry experts, mentors, and potential employers.
What is it about?
Hackathons are designed as an environment that encourages idea sharing, teamwork, and tight deadlines. You must work with a team of up to five peers to create a usable software in 24 hours or under. The team has the opportunity to work and learn from professionals in the industry and College faculty, working as mentors, in a real-life setting.
Participants are allowed to brainstorm before the event starts but all coding must be done during the 24-hour window. To create or join a team, you can do it online through CrowdForge. If you have a project idea, you can create a team page in the platform explaining your project and listing the skills you need in your team.
The Competition and its Rewards
Participants are encouraged to develop software in any of these categories: mixed reality, social good, education, or diversity and inclusion. You can use any language, framework, or library to help your project.
Judges Denise Mendez (Magic Leap), Tony Casciotta (Broward College), Steve Orsino (Ultimate Software), and Kristian Bouw (Notion Theory) will be looking at the innovation, complexity, implementation, and presentation as the criteria of the competition. Trophies in Code for a Cause, Most Innovative Idea, Best Presentation, Crowd Favorite, Best XR Project, and Best Overall are awarded in a ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 26 after the teams present their completed projects. All team members must participate during the presentation.
Participants must be currently enrolled high school or college students. All majors welcome. Admission and participation is free but you must RSVP through Eventbrite.
Learn more about mentor and volunteer opportunities during the Hackathon here.
Interested in a career in Computer and Information Technology? Learn about the programs available at Broward College here.
Industry, Manufacturing, Construction, and Transportation - A Career Pathway for Hands-on Individuals
If you choose to pursue a career path in Industry, Manufacturing, Construction, and Transportation (IMCT), you will be required to engage in practical learning that requires you to be hands-on and creative. Careers such as mechanical or marine engineering, automotive technology, building construction, and avionics require you to possess these qualities in addition to the industry-specific skills necessary.
Community colleges such as Broward College are the perfect fit for those who hope to make a living in any of these technical occupations. Most of the skills needed for these occupations are available in one of the programs offered at the College and can be completed in as little as two years.
You can experience fantastic perks when you work in any of these industries nationwide, but in Florida, these are the top industries in the state’s economic force. Construction, Manufacturing, and Transportation rank in the top five fields with the greatest number of jobs available in the state, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Manufacturing
Representing 4.95 percent of Florida’s Gross State Product, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the manufacturing industry is responsible for almost 400,000 high-wage jobs in the state. Nationally, the industry is experiencing a shortage of skilled workers, and, over the next decade, the BLS projects it will grow. Their data shows that through 2028 there will be 4.6 million job openings in the industry, and 2.4 million of those may remain unfilled due to the skills gap.
At Broward College, you can enter the manufacturing industry when you pursue a degree in Engineering Technology.
Construction
If you’re a local to South Florida, you’re used to the sights of construction cranes both in the downtown areas and the suburbs. There’s a reason many call Miami the ‘crane city’ after all. This building boom gives way to the creation of jobs within the industry at all levels. Florida is home to over 70,000 contractors, which equals 8.7 percent of the national industry.
In just two years, Broward College can train you for a career in the construction industry as a plan examiner, scheduler, superintendent, or project manager through the Building Construction Technology program.
According to BLS, median yearly salaries start at $57,700 (first-line supervisors) and can go up to $73,495 (construction managers).
Transportation
The transportation sector in the United States is responsible for the employment of 13.3 million people, which equals to 9.1 percent of the country’s workforce, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Florida ranks second in the states with the highest employment in the industry, and hourly wages start at $17.91.
Broward College focuses on offering programs related to air transportation such as Aviation Administration with specializations in Air Traffic Control, Airport Operations, Commercial Pilot, and Management; Aviation Maintenance; Avionics; and Professional Pilot. The Automotive Service Management and Marine Engineering programs are also available at the College.
Learn more about the programs offered through the IMCT pathway.
Encouraging Entrepreneurship– How Broward College Is Supporting Students’ Business Ideas
In South Florida, entrepreneurship is booming, and people from all over the U.S. are moving in to develop their innovative ideas into successful businesses. A 2017 study done by the Kauffman Foundation, a company that develops entrepreneurship programs and funds global research, ranked South Florida number one in the country as the center for new startup businesses.
To further the efforts to support the local community, Broward College developed a group of initiatives aimed to help not only our students but Broward County residents as well. The initiative is led by the Workforce Education, Innovation, and Impact team, and driven through the Broward College Entrepreneurship Experience (BCEx). The objective is building a reliable and robust network for aspiring leaders of tomorrow to develop their ideas.
Brandon Gibson, who is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and active member of the Broward College Entrepreneurship Experience (BCEx), is a first-hand witness to how the College is addressing this trend. “One of the very first things we have learned at BCEx is that our economy is leaning towards entrepreneurship, and studies show that within the next decade or so, the workforce will be heavily dependent on it,” he says.
Building a Network Through BCEx
BCEx seeks to empower students, faculty, and staff by providing training focused on innovation, idea development, and social ventures.
"BCEx is part of the College's solution to the demands of the changing nature of work," explains Dr. Mildred G. Coyne, "Employers are expecting graduates that are mentally agile, creative, excellent communicator and innovate within their place of work."
This program provides an environment of collaboration, creativity, and networking.
"In addition to the usual perks of BCEx, perhaps the most important to me is that you not only earn the knowledge on how to start your own business," says Brandon who is currently working on a social app that will connect Broward College students with the programs, clubs, and initiatives that fit their interests and passions. "There is a big focus on opening the door for people want to develop ideas that will bring a positive change to their communities and the lives of others in general."
Other Support for Entrepreneurs
In addition to BCEx, Broward College offers additional support to local entrepreneurs through its Innovation Hub and the J. David Armstrong Student Venture Fund. Both programs offer resources and guidance for business development.
Start at the Innovation Hub
The Innovation Hub is a mixed-use business space, located on the 11th floor of the Broward College Downtown Center and is comprised of private offices, dedicated workspace, and shared coworking areas. The Innovation Hub also has printing stations, free WiFi, and open access to networking events hosted by the Hub.
Additionally, the Broward College Innovation Hub, in partnership with Career Source Broward, has developed the Startup NOW Accelerator, a six-month program that provides training on how to start a business following a carefully crafted business plan with support from qualified mentors. The program offers workshops, hands-on research, and mentorship meetings. Participants earn 12 transferrable college credits and a certificate in Entrepreneurship from the College.
The J. David Armstrong Student Venture Fund
The J. David Armstrong, Jr. Student Venture Fund created in 2018, provides capital to Broward College students to launch startup businesses. The program is off to a great start, surpassing the initial fundraising goal of $500,000 by almost $100,000. To qualify, applicants must be degree-seeking students at Broward College and enrolled in one of the entrepreneurial certificate programs.
Most entrepreneurship endeavors in South Florida are creating jobs in the tech industry. However, all industries are flourishing and welcoming of innovative ideas to be developed into successful businesses. Get started today and be a part of the modern economy.
Passing Torch: Broward College Professor Works to Establish NAACP Student Chapter
Since the day his godmother lit a fire under him as a kid, Dr. Robert Morris has borne the responsibility of passing the torch in the civil rights movement to the next generation of social activists.
“We would talk about civil rights in class, and my students would ask, ‘Why don’t we have a NAACP chapter,’ and I didn’t know,” said Morris, a professor of American History at Broward College. “And, then they asked if we could start a chapter, and I said, ‘Absolutely.’”
Dr. Morris expects the new Broward College National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chapter to gain official recognition from the organization’s national headquarters, Tuesday, October 15. When it does, the 25 members at Broward College will form the first student chapter in the county and will join the University of Miami, Florida International University, and Florida Memorial as branches with higher education addresses in South Florida.
“It’s about building leadership,” said Morris. “Our goal is to look at issues that are not only affecting African-Americans around the country but other minorities as well. It’s a matter of getting students involved and making them aware.”
A lifelong member of the NAACP, Morris had a head start setting the wheels in motion to establish a student chapter at Broward College. His godmother is Dr. Shirley Johnson, a former vice president of the NAACP Miami-Dade branch who, as a teen in the ‘60s, was jailed several times for demonstrating in support of desegregation.
Film: Brown v. Board of Education
Morris said the first formal chapter meeting is scheduled for November, but that will not stop him and his students from raising awareness surrounding equal rights concerns. The chapter will host a presentation of the film “Brown v. Board of Education,” Monday, October 28, in the Student Activity Center on Judson A. Samuels South Campus. A discussion will follow the film, which marks the 65th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision that ruled racial segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional.
“Maybe some students have heard about the court decision, but probably not in-depth,” said Morris. “We want to share information and begin to open up conversations. We can’t just expect students to know everything. It’s our responsibility to educate them.”
Morris is dedicated to doing his part to inform and engage. To start the academic year, he and a group of Broward College students attended the 2019 Freedom Fund Soiree, a black-tie affair at the Dodge Center in Pembroke Pines to celebrate the NAACP’s 31 years of service to Miami-Dade County.
“I’m a community person,” said Morris, who is active in Broward UP™ and the Minority Male Initiative. “I’m always interested in giving back. If not me, then who?”
Broward College students committed to equal justice across all groups and addressing issues facing the nation can get involved with the campus chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. For more information about the NAACP, email [email protected]
Home Free: Broward College Grad Now Owns Keys to His Future
Keeping up with his coursework during the day was as hard as the floors he slept on at night. Raysean Lockhart was without a place he could call his own while he attended Broward College, couch-surfing from one home to another, always looking over his shoulder, worried that he had shifted the weight of his world to the back of the friend or relative kind enough to give him a place to stay.
The good thing is that for enough of the day, Raysean could immerse himself in class, safe from the neighborhood crime, drugs, and violence that cast a shadow on his college aspirations.
“I was always worrying about having to study in the dark or under a streetlight when the electric bill had not been paid,” said Raysean, recalling some of the “small obstacles” he faced on the way toward earning an associate degree at Broward College.
For his sake, the future is no longer dim. Sitting in an office at Broward College, dressed in a suit and tie he wears to his part-time job at the law firm Cohen & McMullen, P.A., in Fort Lauderdale, Raysean was eager to begin his next chapter in life after graduating from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s degree in the interdisciplinary Social Sciences.
Safe Place on Campus
remembers the beginning of his journey fondly. When they first crossed paths, Sarson was working in enrollment services alongside , who is Raysean’s aunt. Parker would bring her nephew with her to campus to get a glimpse of college life. Until then, Raysean had been witness to “normal things” growing up in Washington Park, like stabbings, shootings and dead-end jobs.
“If you grow up rough, you’ve got to assess where you’re at and where you are going -- and is it a safe place,” said Sarson, who currently directs “Get REAL” at Broward College, a scholarship program for students from challenging backgrounds. “He was literally here every day, and we welcomed him. He had that smile that would make you want to do as much as you can for him.”
Without a scholarship or award in hand, often that meant feeding more than his hunger to learn.
“He was very hungry and would come by my office for food,” said , a professor of Spanish at Broward College. “His life was hard, and the odds were definitely not in his favor, but he was a bright kid who brought lots of resilience to our class.”
Surrounded by Great People
Broward UP organizers intend to send Raysean into the community to spread the word about scholarships, Pell grants and all the opportunities that can make college a doable proposition for students with backgrounds like his.
“Everything I’ve attained is due to the great people God put into my life,” said Raysean, who has dreams of attending Harvard Law School and becoming an advocate for social justice, perhaps, in Washington Park, where many kids are known for all the wrong things. “I want to share everything that I’ve endured to help those who aren’t able to help themselves: you may be going through some hard times, but don’t give up.”
If you are dedicated to promoting opportunity and inspiring residents of Broward County to achieve their highest potential, is a countywide movement for you to get behind. Here’s how you can partner.
BC Pride Week October 7-10
The Office of Student Achievement Initiatives and BCPride present National Coming Out Week at Broward College from October 7-10, 2019. We invite you to join events on campus. National Coming Out Day (NCOD) is an annual LGBT awareness day observed in October.
Activities include: Community Expo, Movie Sessions, Conversations, Art Activities and more.
For more information about BC Pride visit: https://www.broward.edu/studentresources/Pride/Pages/default.aspx
Recreation is Part of College Too – What to Do During Your Free Time on Campus
Attending college doesn’t have to be all about books and classes. With the hectic life most of us live, it’s important to allow time for fun and well-deserved breaks. If you find yourself on campus with need for some downtime, take advantage of some recreational activities available at no cost to all Broward College students.
The Activity Center
Every Student Life Department has an activity center for students to relax, hang out, and take part in activities such as pool, table tennis, and video games. By showing your student ID, you can borrow dominos, foosball, and card games. Locate the Activity Center at any of the major campuses here.
Are you a gaming fan?
Unleash your inner gamer through Student Life. You can join the e-gaming community at Broward College and participate in open gaming or tournaments. You can also ask about the e-gaming clubs at North and the Judson A. Samuels South Campus.
For more information on hours and locations, visit here.
Get your fitness on!
If you would rather be out and about, then joining an intramural sport is surely the best option. After all, you will get the best of both worlds: make new friends and get some exercise at the same time. You can choose among basketball, flag football, soccer, and volleyball.
In addition to these regular activities, Student Life hosts special recreational events throughout the semester. Pass by the Student Life office of your campus to pick up a monthly event calendar.
Meet new friends, let out the stress, and enjoy your time on campus. Keep up with campus activities, student life events, and more by checking in with Student Life.